Motorola adds StarCore-based VoIP processors

Austin, Texas  Eying the voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) market, Freescale Semiconductor (formerly Motorola Semiconductor Product Sector) has expanded its solutions for VoIP system designs based on StarCore DSP technology. Unleashed Tuesday (April 27) at the Smart Networks Developers Conference here, the MSC711x DSP family offers the price/performance, high integration and the connectivity required by VoIP system manufacturers, according to Danny Petkevich, marketing director for DSP/infrastructure products at Freescale.

There are five devices in the DSP family that vary according to customer-driven peripheral sets. The devices are based on a synthesizable language written in high-level hardware description language. They boast low power consumption estimated between 250 to 400mW and they come in lead-free 17x17 mm 400-pin MAP-BGA 0.8mm pitch packages. Depending on the channel density requirement, the MSC7116, MSC7115, MSC7113, MSC7112 and MSC7110 provide support for VoIP systems from four to 128 channels in fractional or multipleT1/E1 increments.

Designed to provide higher speed interconnects, higher performance, higher integration, and lower system-level cost, the MSC7116 and MSC7113 are designed to benefit developers of Ethernet-only equipment, said Petkevich. Double data rate (DDR) DRAM, the ideal memory controller for the current commodity memory technology, enables the entire MSC711x family of DSPs to deliver higher memory bandwidth, lower system cost, and single component availability for memory-intensive applications, according to Petkevich.

Freescale will be going head-to-head against the C54x, 55x, and 64x DSP families from Texas Instruments and the Blackfin line from Analog Devices. Infineon and Agere, which also have access to Starcore technology are also expected pursue the attractive VoIP markets.

According to recent research by In-Stat/MDR, IP-based systems overall stand to experience a compound annual growth rate of 20.8% with CPE VoIP gateway revenues expected to rise from $21.1 million in 2002 to $55.1 million in 2007 and with infrastructure VoIP gateway ICs to rise from $18.2 million in 2002 to $36.4 million in 2007. In "VoIP ICs: The Market Calls for Packet Voice," published in November 2003, Sam Lucero reports that low-cost solutions and the ability to converge both voice and data onto a single network account for the expansion of enterprise VoIP deployment.

"VoIP has penetrated the IP core network for toll bypass and the residential market is next. The converged network supported by packet-based infrastructure is real," said Will Strauss, president of DSP market watcher Forward Concepts (Phoenix, Ariz). "Across the DSP families based on StarCore technology, Freescale is providing a compelling approach that enables OEMs to provide products of different channel densities from a single architecture. And, as the first DSP with a DDR memory interface, the MSC7111x family provides new levels of inexpensive memory bandwidth."

Freescale's Smart Packet Telephony reference designs based on the company's PowerQUICC processors and DSPs based on StarCore technology are designed to accelerate time to market and provide a scalable solution from fractional T1/E1 to OC12 and beyond, as well as network connectivity with Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Utopia, TDM and Rapid IO--all from a single silicon supplier.

The estimated packet voice channel densities range from eight for the 7110 to sixteen for the 7116. The packet telephony voice channels are bridges between the traditional telephony world and the world of packetized telephony.

Freescale's Metrowerks operation provides SmartDSP OS, a royalty-free RTOS with source code as part of the tools offering and peripheral drivers for the MSC711x family of DSPs.

There is pin compatibility across the MSC711x family. Also, there is software compatibility between the MSC711x family, the existing MSC81xx family and the SC140 core based on StarCore technology.

Customer samples of MSC711x family devices are planned for 2Q 2004 and production is planned for early 4Q 2004. Per-unit pricing for the MSC711x family will range from $12.05 for the 7110 to $23.95 for the 7116 in 10K unit quantities annually. In the same quantity bracket, the 7112 is $17.40; the 7117 is $18.59 and the 7115 is $22.76.